Ten Little Pirates by Mike Brownlow and Simon Rickerty

Ten Little Pirates is a counting picture book telling how, one by one, each little pirate comes to a sticky end. The pages count down from ten to one enabling the readers to count down each time. This picture book is aimed at pre-school and primary school aged pirate lovers who are just getting their head around numbers. 

Although sometimes a bit graphic, the story of the pirates each meeting his or her demise is quite amusing, especially for the young reader. From being struck by lightning and hit by a cannonball, to falling in love with a mermaid or getting eaten by a whale, one by one each cute little pirate is taken from the story. Much the same as other 'counting down' books I've read, but with an added obligatory "Arrrrrrr!", Ten Little Pirates is a fun, educational read, for when you and your little ones are feeling a bit silly. 

The cartoon-style illustrations throughout this picture book are very well drawn, with each pirate having their own unique identity. Some pages are laid-out like a cartoon strip which gives plenty for the reader to look at whilst reading along, although my daughter did find having two countdowns on one page confusing at times. 

All in all, this book gives us nothing we haven't seen before, but for any young child that loves pirates, like my little girl does, it puts a fun spin on the usual counting book.